David Blunkett calls for apology over 'Sheffield slur'

By Matt Duxbury

Former home secretary David Blunkett has claimed the people of Sheffield deserve an apology after Scotland Yard officers were heard making a derogatory remark about the city.

In a private conversation between members of the Metropolitan Police and FBI officials that was intercepted by hacking group Anonymous, the UK officers joked about a cyber crime conference in Sheffield.

The FBI agents were told they would not miss out by failing to attend, as the South Yorkshire city is "not exactly a jewel in England's crown".

In comments reported by BBC News, Sheffield MP Mr Blunkett described the remark as a "gratuitous and completely unwarranted slur on Britain's fourth largest city".

He added that Sheffield could in fact be described as one of the country's "jewels" for a number of reasons, as it contains more trees than any other city in Europe and is surrounded by beautiful countryside including the Peak National Park.

The FBI and Scotland Yard confirmed that the security of the conference call had been breached after a recording was posted on YouTube, with an investigation now taking place.